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Monday, December 11, 2017

An Qatar Airways Airbus A321 passenger jet caught fire on December 8, while undergoing a maintenance at Hamad International Airport in Doha.

The fuselage of the aircraft was burnt after the In-flight Entertainment (IFE) Satellite Antenna caught fire during maintenance.

The fire was extinguished quickly but the roof and cabin suffered extensive damage. Reports identify the aircraft with registration A7-AIB, which was built in 2010 and powered by International Aero Engines V2500 engines.

BAE Systems and the Government of the State of Qatar have entered into a contract, valued at approximately £5bn, for the supply of Typhoon aircraft to the Qatar Emiri Air Force along with a bespoke support and training package.

The contract is subject to financing conditions and receipt by the Company of first payment, which are expected to be fulfilled no later than mid-2018.

The contract provides for 24 Typhoon aircraft with delivery expected to commence in late 2022.

BAE Systems is the prime contractor for both the provision of the aircraft and the agreed arrangements for the in-service support and initial training.

The deal will secure work for the BAE's production line at Warton into the next decade.

Israel became the second country to declared Initial Operational Clearance for its Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting II stealth fighter fleet, less than a year after taking delivery of the first aircraft.

The IOC gives Israeli Air Force an strategic combat advantage over rival Arab Air Forces in the region, who operate fourth generation generation combat jets, while the F-35 is a fifth generation radar evading jet.

Since delivery of the first aircraft in December 2016, IAF carried out extensive training flights to quickly operationalise the aircraft and expand the flight envelope.

Based at the Nevatim Air Force Base, the Israeli F-35 fleet currently consist of 9 aircraft, of which five where chosen for the inspection. Eventually IAF will operate 50 aircraft.

Christened Adir in Israeli fleet, the F-35 will receive custom Israeli avionics modifications in the country, which will then be designated F-35I.

Friday, December 8, 2017

Qatar has placed an additional order for 12 more Dassault Rafale fighters jets, in a move to considerably expand defensive/offensive capability of the country.

The deal is follow on to the contract signed on 4 May 2015 between Qatar and Dassault Aviation for acquisition of 24 Rafale.

The agreement was signed in the presence of the French President Mr. Emmanuel Macron, and his Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Qatar Armed Forces and Dassault Aviation.

Traditionally a French ally, Qatar has also bolstered its international ties by placing combat aircraft deal with United States and United Kingdom, amid an severed relation and blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia and UAE.

The country has placed an order for 36 Boeing F-15QA strike aircraft from United States for 21.1 USD in November 2016.

In September 2017, a Letter of Intent for acquisition of 24 Eurofighter Typhoon jets were signed between British BAE Systems. The Eurofighter is a consortium of companies from UK, Germany, Italy and Spain.

The Eurofighter Typhoon was a pan European effort in the 1990s, but France exited the program and developed the Rafale indigenously.

Currently the Qatar Emiri Air Force operates just 9 single engine Dassault Mirage 2000 multi-role fighters, which will be replaced by 96 twin engined high performance jets from Europe and USA.

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

The first Boeing KC-46A tanker that will be delivered to the U.S. Air Force next year successfully completed its first flight and airborne tests today, taking off from Paine Field at 10:32 a.m. PST and landing approximately three-and-one-half hours later.

During the flight, Boeing test pilots took the tanker to a maximum altitude of 39,000 feet and performed operational checks on engines, flight controls and environmental systems as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved flight profile. Prior to subsequent flights, the team will conduct a post-flight inspection and calibrate instrumentation.

The newest tanker is the KC-46 program’s seventh aircraft to fly to date. The previous six are being used for testing and certification and to date have completed 2,200 flight hours and more than 1,600 “contacts” during refueling flights with F-16, F/A-18, AV-8B, C-17, A-10, KC-10 and KC-46 aircraft.

The KC-46, derived from Boeing’s commercial 767 airframe, is built in the company’s Everett facility. Boeing is currently on contract for the first 34 of an expected 179 tankers for the U.S. Air Force.

The KC-46A is a multirole tanker that can refuel all allied and coalition military aircraft compatible with international aerial refueling procedures and can carry passengers, cargo and patients.

The flight which took off on Tuesday, lasted 17 minutes and was flown by Sukhoi chief test pilot Sergei Bogdan from the M.M. Gromov flight test center.

The engine replaces the interim 117S or AL-41F1S engine, which was developed to power the Sukhoi Su-35 multi-role fighter.

The second prototype, with hull No. 52 is powered by the new engine, which is said to be a clean sheet design and drop-in replacement to the 117S with minimal changes to the airframe. The Su-57 flight testing is expected to continue through 2018, with first delivery to Russian Air Force expected in 2019.

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens have formed a partnership to develop a near-term flight demonstrator of an hybrid-electric propulsion commercial aircraft.

The E-Fan X hybrid-electric technology demonstrator is anticipated to fly in 2020 following a comprehensive ground test campaign, provisionally on a BAe 146 flying testbed, with one of the aircraft’s four gas turbine engines replaced by a two megawatt electric motor.

Provisions will be made to replace a second gas turbine with an electric motor once system maturity has been proven.

The E-Fan X demonstrator will explore the challenges of high-power propulsion systems, such as thermal effects, electric thrust management, altitude and dynamic effects on electric systems and electromagnetic compatibility issues.

The objective is to push and mature the technology, performance, safety and reliability enabling quick progress on the hybrid electric technology. The programme also aims at establishing the requirements for future certification of electrically powered aircraft while training a new generation of designers and engineers to bring hybrid-electric commercial aircraft one step closer to reality.

The EFanX will be a four engine aircraft, with its turbofan engine being a 2 MW Siemens motor coupled to a Rolls Royce AE3007 turbofan engine's fan and nacelle.

The hybrid aircraft will be equipped with a 2 MW generator powered by a Rolls Royce AE2100 turboprop engine.

As part of the E-Fan X programme, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and Siemens will each contribute with their extensive experience and know-how in their respective fields of expertise:

Airbus will be responsible for overall integration as well as the control architecture of the hybrid-electric propulsion system and batteries, and its integration with flight controls.

Rolls-Royce will be responsible for the turbo-shaft engine, two megawatt generator, and power electronics. Along with Airbus, Rolls-Royce will also work on the fan adaptation to the existing nacelle and the Siemens electric motor.

Siemens will deliver the two megawatt electric motors and their power electronic control unit, as well as the inverter, DC/DC converter, and power distribution system. This comes on top of the E-Aircraft Systems House collaboration between Airbus and Siemens, launched in 2016, which aims at development and maturation of various electric propulsion system components and their terrestrial demonstraion across various power classes.

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

A United States Navy C-2A Greyhound aircraft carrying 11 crew and passengers crashed into the ocean approximately 500 nautical miles southeast of Okinawa at 2:45 p.m. today.

The aircraft was en-route to the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), which is currently operating in the Philippine Sea.

Search and rescue operations recovered eight personnel and were transferred to USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) for medical evaluation and are in good condition at this time

Search and rescue efforts for three personnel continue with U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ships and aircraft on scene.

The aircraft was conducting a routine transport flight carrying passengers and cargo from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni to USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Reagan is operating in the Philippine Sea as part of an exercise with JMSDF.

The C2-A is assigned to the "Providers" of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron Three Zero, Detachment Five, forward deployed in NAF Atsugi, Japan. Detachment Five's mission includes the transport of high-priority cargo, mail, duty passengers and Distinguished Visitors between USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and shore bases throughout the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia theaters.

India became the first country to test fire a supersonic cruise missile from an aircraft, with the test firing of the air-launched version of the BrahMos cruise missile on Tuesday.

The BrahMos-A was successfully flight-tested from an modified Indian Air Force Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet against a sea based target in the Bay of Bengal.

The missile carried on a centerline fuselage pylon, was gravity dropped from the Su-30, and the two stage missile’s engine fired up and straightway propelled towards the intended target at the sea in Bay of Bengal.

The successful maiden test firing of Brahmos Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) from Su-30MKI will significantly bolster the IAF’s air combat operations capability from stand-off ranges.

Brahmos ALCM weighing 2.5 ton is the heaviest weapon to be carried by the Su-30 MKI, and the aircraft wings and fuselage has been strengthened by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to carry the weapon.

With a range of 290 km, the BrahMos can carry out precision strikes against ground targets within seconds, as speed can reach close to Mach 3.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

An Indian Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules airlifter has clocked the longest flight time by the type on November 18.

The aircraft flew 13 hours and 31 minutes non-stop without any aerial refueling, setting a global endurance record for the type.

The Crew got airborne from Hindon Air Force in Delhi and circumnavigated the Indian Subcontinent.

Indian Air Force currently operates 5 C-130Js of the 6 six delivered, after one crashed in 2014. IAF is also acquiring a replacement plus an additional 6 C-130Js to augment its tactical airlift capabilities.

Sunday, November 19, 2017

The first prototype of Russia's new generation Beriev A-100 airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft has completed first flight on November 18.

The aircraft flew from Beriev's Taganrog Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex, and completed the flight without any issues.

The A-100 is based on the improved IL-78MD-90A platform, intended to replace the Soviet era A-50 and A-50U Russian Air Force AWACS fleet based on the first generation IL-76 transport plane.

The improved Il-76MD-90A first flown in 2012, is equipped with new PS-90A-76 turbofan engines that are efficient and 15% more powerful than the D-30KP used by the Il-76.

The platform also sports improved avionics system, a glass cockpit and reduced weight that improve the overall flight characteristics of the aircraft.

The A-100 is equipped a new generation Premier Active Phased Array Radar developed by the Vega Concern, housed in a rotating dome mounted on two struts above the fuselage.

The Vega Premier AESA radar have electronic steering in elevation while azimuth is controlled by the rotation of the dome. The radar has improved ability to track fast moving targets, as the rotodome now rotate once every 5 seconds.

The A-100 can detect aircraft, ships and vehicles at long ranges greater than 500 km and perform command and control of the battlespace in an air engagement by directing fighter and attack aircraft strikes.

As the performance of the A-100 is still unknown, for comparison the A-50U aircraft flying at an altitude of 9 km can detect all objects in air and ground in a radius of 500 km. It is also about 30 tons heavier than the regular IL-76 which have a max take of weight of 190 tonne.

Friday, November 17, 2017

Russia has restarted the production of the Soviet era Tupolev Tu-160 long range strategic bomber after 25 years.

The first newly built aircraft was rolled out from the Kazan Aircraft Factory, where production ceased in 1992 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The aircraft designated Tu-160M2 features improved performance characteristics due to the new engines, avionics, glass cockpit, control and communication systems and weapons.

The swing-wing supersonic heavy bomber was first flown in 1981 and is the largest supersonic bomber and heaviest of all strategic bombers in the world.

Flight testing is planned to commence in early 2018, with delivery to Russian Air Force scheduled for 2019.

The first aircraft is intended to establish the plant's capability to produce the aircraft, including for solving the problems of reproduction of the Tu-160 in a new guise: restoration of final assembly technology, testing of certain new technological solutions.

The design and development was completely carried out using computers, unlike it predecessor.

The Tu-160 had a max take off weight of 275 tonnes and can carry a 40 tonne weapon payload of missiles and bombs in its two tandem under fuselage internal weapon bays.